


ES9 Jitters

by musicforlife101



Series: Captain Canary Hiatus Fics [8]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Star Trek Fusion, Barista Kendra, Bickering, Bounty Hunter Sara, Coffee Shop in Space, F/M, Gen, Pirate Leonard, Space Pirates, Space Stations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 05:46:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6411172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicforlife101/pseuds/musicforlife101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kendra is happy working as the Beta shift barista at the Jitters outpost on Earth Station 9. Her favorite customers come in whenever they dock at the station, and she's been trying to nudge them together for months now.</p>
<p>Late fill for Captain Canary Hiatus Fest Day 15 - AU #4</p>
            </blockquote>





	ES9 Jitters

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to do a coffee shop in space AU and I love Kendra as a matchmaking barista.
> 
> And I hope you enjoy the little references, and how I tried to give everyone Star Trek universe-ish careers that match them.
> 
> As always, I don't own LOT.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!

Kendra Saunders was the resident Beta shift barista for the Jitters outpost on Earth Station 9, anchored in deep space. She’d come out to open ES9 Jitters with the Alpha shift manager, Carter Hall. He had been the night manager back in Central City and he’d personally asked her to come out to ES9 to open the farthest coffee shop from Earth. More than once, he’d offered to switch her to Alpha shift, have normal, daytime hours. But there wasn’t daytime, as such, on a space station or on any of the ships that docked there. Plus, her favorite customers always ended up in Jitters during Beta shift. 

A lot of Terran traders, merchants, and pirates frequented Jitters. There was a cantina on ES9 as well, but it was run by a Kylossian. So anyone who was homesick for Earth, or staying a while, or taking off quickly, or trying to adjust to Station time tended to end up at Jitters during Kendra’s shift. Her two favorite regulars were Sara Lance, the captain of the White Canary (not to be confused with her sister’s ship, the Black Canary), and Leonard Snart, the infamous Captain Cold of the Rogues Galley.

Over the year she’d been on ES9, Kendra had gotten to know Sara and Leonard. Sara was a bounty hunter, piloting an E-class Raptor on her own. It was small and nimble with a suped up warp drive. Leonard captained a larger M-class Galley. He was a pirate and traded almost exclusively in illegal goods.

More than that, he delighted in relieving ships of their cargo. Kendra had learned as much on one of his first visits to Jitters. She’d overheard a conversation with one of his crewmembers when she’d brought their coffees. He’d waved off her apologies for interrupting. And the next time he was on ES9, she found a small package and note in her mail cube. Inside had been a beautiful, Egyptian Revival hairpin from Thylan 4 and a note explaining that ‘Captain Cold’ took care of his friends. The warning was implied, but Kendra had understood and heeded it. Ocasionally, he would bring small trinkets for her if he found something he thought she would like. In return, she kept his less than legal activities quiet.

About a month later, she’d discovered that he brought things for Sara, too.

“What the hell?!” Sara had asked, punching him in the shoulder when he walked up to join her at the counter.

He’d rubbed absently at his arm. “Hello to you too, assassin.”

“Don’t test me, crook. You left a bottle of Dassian wine in my mail cube?” Kendra’s eyebrows shot up. Wine from Dassi was very expensive, and good, and very strong. It was hard to come by in this quadrant of the galaxy.

He’d shrugged. “It was the last in a case, thought you might like it.”

She’d rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure. Anyway, I can’t stick around. My sister called. See you next time, crook.”

“Can’t wait, assassin.”

It had been that visit, when Leonard had been alone at the counter, that Kendra was able to ask why he called her that. There wasn’t much Kendra knew about Sara’s past, or even present. He’d explained that she had been muscle for hire and then an assassin for a Drendian crime syndicate, and had been part of a great many questionably legal ventures prior to becoming a bounty hunter. After he sister had joined up with the resistance, Sara had found herself drawn toward at least the _moral_ right.

She didn’t take government issued bounties because they were often perfectly law-abiding resistance supporters. And besides, individuals were more likely to pay the bounty and not jail her. Kendra could respect that.

  

* * *

 

Sara wandered into Jitters about halfway through Beta, when things were slowing down. She joined Leonard at the counter, where he sat sipping black coffee. Kendra stepped over and started to make Sara’s usual cappuccino.

“Evening, assassin,” he said.

“Hey crook,” she said tiredly. “It’s middle of Gamma for me.” Kendra pulled down a larger cup and started an extra shot of espresso. “Thanks Kendra.” The barista smiled at her. There was a long pause, Sara tipping her head forward. “You’ll never guess what I got on the subspace yesterday.”

“Another call from your vigilante sister?” Leonard didn’t dislike the rebels, in fact, he gave them better prices and generally left their ships alone. But Sara’s sister, Laurel, ran with a crew of Terrans who docked their individual Raptors on a carrier Galley in between going out to right wrongs in the quadrant. He didn’t take issue with it, but he wasn’t a hero either.

“No,” she said, rolling her eyes at him. Her expression grew serious again. “I got a bounty, on you. Dead or alive.”

One of his eyebrows shot up. “There’s a price on my head?” He glanced over his shoulder.

“It’s just me for now. Apparently, it’s common knowledge that we know each other.”

“Who wants my head now?”

“Rynar, captain of the Black Keys. You cost him a lot of credits.”

Leonard smirked. “You gonna bring me in, Sara?”

Kendra set down Sara’s drink and moved back toward the register, just close enough that she could still hear.

Sara took a deep drink from her coffee. “If I do, he’ll kill you. I don’t condemn my…allies to death.”

His smile was gentle and small. “No, you’re not a killer anymore.” The softness in his expression passed. He drained his coffee and stood. “In that case, I’m shipping out. See you next time, assassin.” The nickname fell from his lips out of habit, with no malice. She barely noticed it anymore.

“Keep your head on a swivel, crook. He’ll send someone else.”

“Someone who doesn’t appreciate my sparkling wit?” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, Sara, you’ll get first crack at killing me.” He waved goodbye and she didn’t frown down at her coffee once she was alone again.

Kendra stepped into her sightline, leaning on her elbows on the counter. “Are you alright, Sara?”

“You’re a barista, Kendra, not a bartender.”

“Like you’d spill your troubles to Trosh.”

Sara shrugged. “Just concerned.”

“About Leonard?”

She nodded hesitantly. “Once Rynar realizes I won’t sell out Leonard, he’ll put out an open call and half the quadrant will be after him, looking for the glory of taking down the legendary Captain Cold.” She groaned and took a long drink.

“If you’re so worried, why don’t you go with him? Or follow in the Canary?”

Sara’s eyes widened. “Can’t do that, Kendra. _Mick_ might not have an issue with me on board, but the rest of the Rogues would be pissed.” She sighed and drained her cup. “Is the subspace working? It was on the fritz last time I docked.”

“Yep, I called Earth yesterday.”

“Thanks, Kendra. Gonna call my sister and crash. I’ll see you before I leave.” Kendra waved as her friend left.

She wasn’t sure if tonight was a snag or a development. For months now, she’d been trying to nudge her two favorite customers together. The station postmaster agreed with her, and the docking agents on every shift, and most of the staff at the common mess hall, and the refueling crews. The only people who seemed oblivious to how great Leonard and Sara would be together were Leonard and Sara. Which was just typical. She sighed and wiped down the counter.

 

* * *

 

Almost three weeks later, Kendra stood talking to Sara at the counter. She’d been on station just an hour or so, but had decided to stay for a while. She’d told Kendra that she had always liked Earth Station 9 and that she really hadn’t been docked more than a night here and there for quite a while. But she wasn’t fooling Kendra. Sara kept flicking her gaze to the door. And Kendra had heard the very same rumors. The Rogues Galley was limping to ES9 after escaping some sort of ambush. An attempt on the Captain’s life.

“Do you want another, Sara?”

“Huh?” She looked back at her friend holding up her coffee cup. “Oh, yeah.” Kendra made her a new cappuccino and set it in front of her.

Sara took a sip. And Leonard Snart walked in. He looked out of place in Jitters, still wearing his coat and looking a little worse for wear. He might have fit in better at Trosh’s bar farther along the ring. He spotted her the moment he walked in and headed straight for her, heedless of anyone who might get in his way. She turned on her bar stool to face him.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. “Really Snart? You left Terran tequila and Kylossian throwing knives in my mail cube?”

“You don’t get to complain, Lance. You sent your little do-gooder army to keep tabs on me! I can protect myself from a bunch of second-rate thugs.”

“Apparently you can’t. The way I heard it, you were in real trouble before Barry showed up.”

Kendra watched them argue with an amused smile. They leaned closer together as they tried to make their respective points. Neither of which made any sense. They were both angry that they’d tried to do something nice for each other?

“Fastest ship in the galaxy. Idiot,” Leonard muttered mockingly.

“God, I didn’t want you to be killed. Why is that such a bad thing?”

“Why is it so awful that I leave you gifts?” he countered.

“Because nothing is free!”

“You told me about the bounty.”

She sighed. “Fine. I get the knives, but why did you bring me tequila from home?”

“Maybe I was hoping you’d invite me to drink it with you,” he said, leaning one arm on the counter. He pulled it back with a hiss of pain. The anger bled out of Sara and she looked at his arm with concern. She reached one hand out to him. Halfway there, she changed destination from the purple-green bruise on his jaw to the collar of his coat. “It’s fine,” he said. “Just still healing.”

That’s when she got really angry. She hit him in the chest. “You moron! You flew right into a trap. Are you really that stupid? Was it just too big of a score?” She searched his face. “Oh, you knew it was a trap, you just thought you could handle it without backup. Didn’t you?” His expression said yes, even though his mouth wouldn’t. “You are such an idiot. You could have died! You _would_ have died if Barry hadn’t shown up when he did!”

“Just kiss already,” said Jax, one of the gamma shift hangar crew.

“Shut it, kid,” Leonard shot back. He didn’t look away from Sara, whose gaze had softened back into concern. She reached up to touch his jaw. He didn’t pull away, but flinched a little when her thumb brushed the darkest portion of the bruise.

“You could have died.”

“I didn’t.”

“But now you’re hurt because you didn’t have any backup.”

“Tequila is a great painkiller.”

She allowed a small smile. “You can drink with me on one condition: find reliable backup before you leave the station.”

He nodded. “Sara, would you like to dock the Canary on the Galley until we get the Rynar situation sorted out?”

“Me?”

“Who else on this tin can can I trust to back me up?”

“Alright.”

“Lead the way,” he said gesturing to the door. “I believe I was promised tequila.”

She rolled her eyes fondly and led him out the door. Kendra watched them go, smiling widely.

“Twenty credits they’re dating next time they dock at the station,” Jax said from his chair.

Kendra chuckled. “Twenty says they’re together before the Galley is fixed.

 

* * *

 

They came into Jitters several more times during the Galley’s three week repair cycle. A few days before the Galley was set to leave, Kendra found herself covering for a friend on Alpha shift. It was early and fairly quiet. Most anyone who had to be up for Alpha was already at their post and had stopped for their coffee at the end of Gamma. She leaned against the back counter beside Carter, both of them sipping their coffees. She was staring at the stars out the window when Leonard walked in.

“Hey Snart,” Carter said, bringing Kendra out of her reverie.

“Hall. Hi Kendra. Can I get mine and Sara’s usual in to-go cups?”

“Of course.” She started on them right away. “Is she not coming in?”

“She’s still asleep.” Carter nodded, starting to see where this was going. “She’ll be annoyed if she wakes up and I’m gone. _And_ there’s no coffee.”

They both chuckled good-naturedly, but inside Kendra was doing a victory dance. She was going to win the bet!

Kendra passed him the cups, but grabbed his wrist to stop him from leaving. “Leonard, I’m glad Sara is going with you. I’ve always thought you would be good together, and I just want to see my two favorite customers happy.”

He opened his mouth to say something snarky, but decided on a smile instead. “We’ll stop back in before we ship out.”

“You better.”

  

* * *

 

The next time Kendra saw Sara and Leonard was the day they were set to leave. They came in together, ordered together, sat at the counter together and bickered good-naturedly, Leonard’s hand on Sara’s knee the entire time. She’d have to get those twenty credits from Jax later.


End file.
